Half Light
by MiraculousLadyB
Summary: When Adrien discovers his father is Hawkmoth, he turns to Ladybug. Can Marinette protect her partner and defeat their archnemesis whilst keeping her identity a secret from Chat Noir? One-sided reveal (for now!). Lots of angst, fluff and all sides of the love square.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! It's been a while. A mix of lack of inspiration, motivation and life happened which is why I've been quiet on the FanFiction front. Hopefully you'll enjoy this though! I will admit it, part of this is complete self-indulgence where I was in the mood to write some angst but hopefully a decent story will come out of it...**

 **\- Lady B x**

* * *

It was late when Marinette felt a gentle tug on her pyjama top and heard her name whispered so delicately it was almost drowned out by the rain outside. The sky was cloaked in darkness, but the illumination from the streetlights had cast the city in an orange hue which trickled through Marinette's window. Her room was silent except for the raindrops crashing against her skylight and the groan of the pipes beneath her floor. Sighing, Marinette rolled to her right, groggily opening her eyes to view the one who'd awoken her.

"Tikki?" she murmured. "What's going on?"

"Chat Noir is outside. He looks really miserable and I'm concerned," Tikki said softly, rubbing her tiny paws together in worry as she floated beside her chosen. Marinette sighed once more as she sat up, one arm outstretched to grab her phone from the ledge above her bed.

4:10am, the phone's digital clock read.

"What the hell is that cat doing?" Marinette groaned in frustration, but she pushed the quilt off her body and stood on her mattress so she could reach the rooftop window regardless. Pushing the window open, she was instantly greeted by drops of rain falling onto her loose hair and the bitter autumn breeze kissing her cheeks. Her initial reaction was to pout her lip in annoyance, until her eyes caught her partner on the opposite rooftop.

He was sat with his knees to his chest, holding them tightly against himself. His gaze was at the half moon that hung over the Parisian skyline, the stars overpowered by the city's illumination. His blonde hair was so drenched with rain water he almost looked brunette. His suit was faring as better protection for his body, the water gliding down the leather-like material with ease. Marinette couldn't read his expression from the distance she was at, but she still felt an uneasy lump in her throat.

She ducked back into her room and called Tikki to transform her. Ignoring her usual transformation routine, she climbed down the steps of her bed to grab an umbrella as her suit was capturing her body. She was fully spot-clad by the time she began climbing back up to her bed, and quickly swung out of her room and across the rooftops.

Chat Noir didn't notice he had company until the raindrops above his head quickly ceased. He looked up to see his lady holding a black umbrella over his head, a worried smile gracing her peach lips.

"You okay, kitty?" she asked gently.

His luminous cat eyes could hide his real iris colour, but not the sadness within them.

"I need to tell you something," he choked out, in barely a whisper. Ladybug sat beside him on the rooftop, allowing her legs to dangle off the edge as shifted closer to him so the umbrella covered both their heads.

Placing the hand that wasn't holding the umbrella on his shoulder she said, "You can tell me anything. You're my best friend."

Chat Noir took a shaky breath, his whole body shuddering. He couldn't meet her eyes, his gaze meeting the Eiffel Tower in the distance. His stomach churned with anxiety, his heart felt heavy against his chest, almost like he couldn't breathe. Yet he felt almost numb. "I have to tell you my identity."

Ladybug blinked in surprise; he'd always been respectful of her decision to not share their identities until after they defeated Hawkmoth. She didn't interrupt him.

"I know who Hawkmoth is," he said, turning to meet her eyes as she let out a small gasp. His face was cold and his tone dripping with ice. "He's my father."

Ladybug held his gaze and instead of recoiling away from him like he expected, her grip on his shoulder tightened.

"Are you sure?" she asked softly, leaning closer to him.

He nodded solemnly, his eyes returning to the skyline before them, as he retold his story.

 _It was late when Adrien heard his father's shout booming down the high halls of the mansion, knocking him out of sleep. Glancing at his phone on his bedside table, Adrien realised it was just gone three in the morning. Assuming that it was a client in some other country that had irked his father, Adrien decided to go attempt to calm him, just like his mother used to do._

 _He swung his legs out of his bed, his feet touching the cold, hard wood floor. Yawning, Adrien quietly made his way out of his bedroom into the empty hallway. He could see light spilling underneath the door of his father's office on the floor below, and began to descend the marble staircase._

" _Sir, please try and calm down; you'll wake Adrien!" he heard his father's assistant say firmly, her voice slightly muffled by the grand wood door._

" _I can't calm down, Nathalie! I've been doing this for two god damn years now and I'm no-where closer to my goal!"_

 _A loud bang was heard and Adrien assumed his father had punched his desk._

" _I understand it's frustrating, Sir, but you've made a lot of progress."_

" _Really? Because I don't see Ladybug or Chat Noir's Miraculous anywhere near my grasp, and I've akumatised a good chunk of Paris' population!"_

 _Adrien swallowed a gasp, smacking a hand against his mouth to avoid his laboured breathing being heard. His chest tightened and he was suddenly hyper aware of his heartbeat. He swore he could feel the blood in his veins rushing through him, his ears ringing. The conversation between his father and Nathalie continued but he couldn't bear to listen anymore._

 _He tip-toed back up the staircase, trying to be as quiet as possible but all he could hear was the loud buzzing in his ears. He stumbled into his bedroom, pushing the door quietly to behind him before dashing to his bathroom. He locked the door behind him before he lurched forward to the toilet, emptying the contents of his churning stomach. Unnoticed by his chosen, Plagg phased through the bathroom door and floated cautiously next to the boy._

" _Ew, kid, what did you eat?" Plagg said. Adrien didn't answer, he simply wiped his mouth with his arm and flushed the toilet, taking a shuddering breath before staggering over to the sink. Grabbing a glass, he ran the tap and filled it with water before downing the contents. He slammed the glass back down, leaving the tap running, and clutched the sides of the marble sink tightly, staring at the floor as he breathed heavily._

" _Kid, you're scaring me here," Plagg said, floating closer._

" _My father is Hawkmoth," Adrien breathed out, not looking up. He barely whispered the words but he knew Plagg had heard from the tiny gasp that escaped him._

" _Did you know?" Adrien whispered, shakily, his sad eyes locking onto Plagg's._

" _Of course not! You think I'd let you stay here not knowing? I want nothing more than for you to be safe and happy!" Plagg cried._

 _Adrien looked away, tightening his grasp on the marble edge. He met Plagg's eyes again in the mirror._

" _What do I do, Plagg?" he asked quietly._

" _We'll go see Master Fu. He'll help you. And of course, Ladybug will," Plagg said confidently, ignoring the rage and despair that was bubbling inside of his tiny body._

 _Adrien nodded, and for a few moments silence fell between the pair, the only sound the gushing water from the tap._

" _First, can we go for a run? I need to clear my head."_

" _Anything you need, kid, just say the word," Plagg said, "But first…" he paused, floating over to his chosen and hugging his face. "You know I love ya, right?"_

 _Adrien wrapped his hands round his kwami, a gentle sob escaping his lips. "I love you too, Plagg," he whispered, tearfully._

"Chat…" Ladybug breathed. "I… I'm so sorry."

He didn't respond, just continued to stare thoughtfully into the Parisian night. She shifted closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder, taking her free hand in his own.

"You don't have to tell me who you are, you should be able to tell me on your terms," she murmured, running her thumb against the back of his hand.

"I can't take that luxury anymore, M'lady. If he finds out I'm Chat Noir I'll need you to take Plagg and protect him for me, and for that to happen you need to know who I am."

Ladybug sighed. "Okay, as long as you're sure, then we'll tell each other our identities."

"No," Chat Noir cried out, his head snapping round to face her. "You can't tell me who you are!"

"Why not?" Ladybug asked, her brow furrowed. "I thought you wanted to know?"

"I did! I do!" Chat replied, his voice desperate. "But what if my father finds out I know who you are? What if he akumatises me? What if I hurt you?"

"You would never hurt me," she said with such confidence his heart soared, despite its current heavy weight.

"Bugaboo," he said, desperately. "Please. I couldn't bare it if anything happened to you. Do you have any idea what you mean to me?"

Her voice cracked as she replied. "I really do," she sighed in resignation. "Fine, I won't tell you."

"Thank you," he whispered, placing a kiss to her forehead. Her cheeks flushed, which she told herself was from the cold. She abandoned the umbrella behind them, grabbing both of his hands in her own.

"Before you tell me, kitty, I want you to know that no matter who you are under there, you'll always be my best friend… And a massive dork," He let out a watery laugh as he looked at their entwined hands. She released one so she could cup his face. "You are one of the kindest, loyalist, nerdiest and most amazing people I know, despite the fact your father is a huge jerk. No matter who your father is, or what your father does, he can never do anything to change how I feel about you."

"Thank you, bugaboo," he whispered, placing a delicate kiss to her hand as tears filled his eyes. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, her heart pounding with anticipation and adrenaline. He stood, pulling her up with him, and led her to a private alcove on the rooftop.

"Plagg, claws in," he murmured, not breaking eye contact with her. A green light enveloped him, starting at his feet and shooting up his body to his hair. Suddenly, the black, leather suit, mask and cat ears were replaced with cotton pyjama bottoms, a black t-shirt and the saddest, most gorgeous green eyes. His cute cat kwami rested on his shoulder protectively.

"A-Adrien?" she choked out.

At first his heart snapped, thinking she was disappointed with his civilian identity. Until she wrapped her arms around his chest tightly, her head resting against his chest. "You don't deserve this," she cried. "No-one does, but you deserve it the least out of anyone."

He enveloped her in return, nuzzling his face into her hair, the scent of her rose shampoo caressing him. He began to lightly sob against her, which caused her to cry in return. Plagg nestled into his neck, cuddling his Adrien lovingly. Adrien and Ladybug continued to hug tightly as the sky cried with them.

Time passed, neither was sure how long, and their sobs subsided. Ladybug rubbed Adrien's back gently as he shivered against her. She knew it wasn't from the cold.

"You know me, don't you?" he whispered into her hair. "When we're not Ladybug and Chat Noir."

She nodded against his chest and she felt him exhale heavily, her head moving with his breathing.

"I really want to know who you are, my brain is running wild with possibilities, but you have to promise me you won't tell me until this is all over," he said, stroking her hair.

"I promise," she murmured. She pulled back to meet his eyes. "Begrudgingly."

"Thank you, M'Lady," he said and she shivered at how simultaneously unusual and familiar it felt for Chat's nickname for her to fall from Adrien's lips.

They stayed silent for a few minutes longer. Adrien gave her a sad smile which she mirrored, before he broke eye contact to look into the distance.

"I need to go see Master Fu before the sun rises and father realises I'm gone," he said, downtrodden.

"I'm coming with you," Ladybug said, in a tone that told him she wasn't up for negotiation. So, he nodded. He called for Plagg to transform him, the leather suit hugging his skin once more. Ladybug entwined her fingers with his, before the pair flew off into the night in search of the great guardian, Master Fu.


	2. Chapter 2

It was still dark when they reached Master Fu's shop. The hour was trickling into the early morning, but the sun wouldn't be rising for another couple of hours due to the November month. Ladybug tapped gently on the guardian's front door whilst Chat looked down the street pensively, his eyes glazed over in thought. The pair were soaked from the rainfall, water dripping from the ends of their hair.

Chat was quickly knocked from his trance as a green light flashed in the key hole, and the door opened to reveal a tiny, jade coloured turtle floating in front of them.

"Sorry to turn up so late, Wayzz," Ladybug said. "We just really need to see Master Fu. It's urgent."

Chat flinched at her words and the spotted hero reached to entwine her fingers with his, her gaze still on the turtle kwami.

"Not to worry," Wayzz said, kindly. "I sensed Plagg's distress and had a feeling something was terribly wrong; I expected you to turn up here. I'll go inform Master, please come in."

The two heroes stepped into the cramped, dark hallway, closing the door behind them as Wayzz phased into another room.

"Come in, you two," a familiar voice called a few seconds later. Ladybug pulled open the door decorated with bamboo trees, one hand still clutching Chat's. Master Fu was knelt on the wooden floor in front of them, pouring green tea into three regular sized cups and one tiny one the size of a thimble, presumably for Wayzz.

"What seems to be the problem, you two?" Master Fu asked. His eyes snapped to their intertwined hands, but he didn't comment.

Ladybug opened her mouth to reply, but Chat cut across her.

"Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth," he said, his tone devoid of any emotion.

The cat hero watched as Master Fu's expression turned cold and contemplative; Chat could tell the guardian's mind was whirling with thoughts about the implications of his statement.

"That… Certainly is a rather large development," Master Fu said, cryptically, his eyes shooting between the two heroes.

"Ladybug knows who I am, Master," Chat Noir replied, calling for his transformation to drop. Plagg zipped out of his ring, placing himself in Adrien's shirt, his little head poking out of the top of the pyjama top. Master Fu wasn't sure if it was for Adrien's comfort or his own. "I know we're not supposed to reveal our identities, but given the circumstances I had no choice."

Master Fu shook his head. "No, that is completely understandable. You made the right choice," he paused, his face dropping with anguish. "Adrien, I can assure you when I chose you for the Miraculous, I had no idea…"

Adrien raised a hand to stop him, "It's okay, Master, I know."

Master Fu sighed deeply. "With all this in mind, I must ask you… Do you want to keep your Miraculous and continue being Chat Noir?"

There was a heavy silence in the room. Adrien felt Ladybug subconsciously tighten her grip on his hand and Plagg shift closer to him, hugging his shirt like a blanket, but neither said a word.

"Is it safe?" Adrien asked tentatively. "For me to have it? My father is Hawkmoth after all. I know who you are, where the Miraculous are kept…"

"If you're implying that you might be turned against us, even unwillingly, I have no concern about that," Master Fu cut across him, his tone firm. "It's whether you're prepared to fight along side us against your father. It's not something I intended to ask of you when I first gave you the cat Miraculous, and I can understand if it's not something you're prepared for."

Adrien pursed his lips, his eyes dropping to the floor. "He may be my father, but I can't excuse for what he's done… I need to understand why he would do this. I need to stop him, and make this right."

"Your strength knows no bounds, Adrien," Master Fu said, proudly, a warm, paternal smile on the old man's lips.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "Besides," he said, his gaze dropping to the kwami in his shirt. "Plagg has changed my life for the better and he's one of my best friends, I'm not giving him up."

Plagg sniffed loudly, his words muffled by tears. "No need to get all soppy, kid," he said, his large green eyes looking up at his chosen affectionately.

Adrien smiled softly back at him, rubbing his tiny head with his finger, earning a happy purr from the kwami. The teenager turned to his partner, and was startled for a moment by the utter adoration and pride that sparkled in her eyes, a small, bittersweet smile on her lips.

"I'm not letting you go at this alone either, M'lady," he whispered.

Ladybug squeezed his hand in reply, her eyes watery. The two teenagers gaze snapped apart at the sound of Master Fu clearing his throat.

"Have you revealed your identity to Chat Noir, Ladybug?"

Ladybug scoffed. "I tried, he won't let me."

Master Fu raised his eyebrows in surprise at the blonde, who shrugged in response.

"I can't risk it. If I know who she is and my father somehow gets control over me… I'd never forgive myself if I hurt her."

Master Fu smiled gently. "You doubt yourself too much, Adrien. You would never do anything to hurt her; you're made for each other," he held back a chuckle as he watched both teenagers' cheeks flush red as they stared at him, wide-eyed. "However, if it gives you some reassurance in these difficult times, then I agree it may be the best decision, for now."

Adrien smiled softly. "Thank you, Master Fu."

"Although, you definitely need to reveal yourself eventually, Ladybug. I've already picked out a wedding gift for the two of you," Master replied, taking a smug sip of his tea as the pair squirmed with embarrassment once more. Plagg shared a small smile with the guardian, grateful for his distraction, even if it was only for a few minutes.

"So how are we approaching this?" Ladybug said, shaking off her embarrassment. "Has anything like this happened in the past?"

"Miraculous holders have known each other in their civilian lives, some were even related, but none have fought against each other before," Master Fu replied. "We need to approach this delicately. Get as much information as we can and maybe we can retrieve the Miraculous without any conflict. Adrien, I know this is difficult, but please can tell us everything you know?"

Adrien frowned. "Honestly, not much. I overheard a conversation between him and his assistant that confirmed his identity, but not much else."

Master Fu nodded. "It's a start. Plagg can search the house for clues when it's safe and I can send another kwami to aid him."

"I'll try my best to figure some things out as well," Adrien replied, earning a shocked look from his partner.

"Wait, you're staying in that house?" she asked, her eyes wide in outrage.

"I have to, it'll raise more suspicion if I just disappear and I can get more information from the inside," Adrien replied, running a hand through his blonde locks.

"There is always a room for you here, should you need it, Adrien," Master Fu said, sipping his green tea.

"I don't like it," Ladybug replied, folding her arms defiantly, one hip cocked to the side. "How am I going to know you're safe?"

"We'll find a way to communicate that doesn't reveal your identity," he grabbed her hands in his own. "M'lady, I'll be okay. I promise."

"If this situation was reversed…" Ladybug began in argument. Her partner cut across her, however.

"I know, I would hate it. I would want to take you as far away as possible from him. I know you want to protect me but I have to do this, for Paris' sake and my own."

She stared at him for a few moments, her eyes searching his for any sign of falter. The look of stubborn determination he returned to her caused her to sigh in defeat. "Fine."

With her reluctant approval, Adrien placed a chaste kiss to her hand. "Thank you, bugaboo."

Master Fu smiled softly at the pair, a sad glaze in his eyes. He turned to the clock to see it was approaching six in the morning. Gazing back at the two teens he was reluctant to separate them, but the quickly approaching morning left him no choice.

"You two should return home before your absence is noticed."

Ladybug's stomach sank, her hand gripping Adrien's tightly as he called for Plagg to transform him. Not even the most beautiful sunset over the Eiffel Tower could rival the awe that she felt as she watched her gracious classmate transform into her cheeky, self-assured partner.

The pair said goodbye to Master Fu and Wayzz and walked into the quiet Parisian side-street the shop resided on. It was still dark, only the slightest glimpse of light was beginning to peak over the horizon, and the streets were silent. The two heroes said goodbye to one another, but not before Ladybug gave her partner a firm kiss on the cheek.

"Be safe," she whispered, her breath tickling his skin.

He blushed furiously, red spilling under his black mask, but he nodded firmly. She watched as he swung off, in what she knew was the direction of the Agreste mansion, before swinging towards her own home.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Marinette's alarm blared out from her bed's shelf. She'd set it the previous night as she'd promised her parents she'd help out in the bakery, as Sundays were usually quite busy, especially in autumn when people craved warm pastries and their homemade hot chocolate.

She hadn't slept since returning home. Tikki had watched on, wordlessly but worriedly, as she stared at the photo of Adrien she had beside her bed. A flurry of emotions rushed around her that she wasn't sure how to deal with. Her anguish for Adrien was currently battling her elation that he was her wonderful partner, and it was winning.

When she arrived downstairs, her mother sent her a worried look, rushing over to cup her cheeks.

"Are you feeling okay, sweetie? You look really pale," Sabine said, examining her daughter's complexion.

Marinette could barely find the energy to reply. She felt so heavy that her body almost couldn't hold her up. Her mother sent her back to bed, having never seen her daughter look so downtrodden. She managed to pull herself back up to her loft bed, resuming her earlier foetal position, cuddling her cat pillow close to her chest. Her mind was spinning with worry, wondering if Adrien was still safe.

Her phone buzzed above her, and she reached up to grab it. The screen was lit up, allowing her to see the notification.

 _Adrien The Fantastic Four_  
 _Message_

She quickly swiped across the screen the open the contents of the message.

 _Adrien: Anyone up for Mario Kart tournament this afternoon? I'll message when I'm out of my photoshoot and meet you guys online_

She smiled softly. He was safe, at least for now. She was also pleased he was still interacting with the group, rather than shutting himself away.

She typed her reply before clasping her phone to her chest, her cat cushion wrapped around her protectively, as she finally allowed herself to fall asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

***Tentatively walks into room, switches on the light, dusts away the cobwebs***

 **Hey guys! Soooo it's been like, a year, nearly. My bad. I honestly didn't intend to not update for this long, I just don't know where the year's gone. I actually got some notifications recently of people being like 'Please update!' which was really touching, so thank you for taking the time to read this!**

 **I hope Chapter 3 is worth the year long wait. I promise to update quicker next time...**

 **Side note, if you want to find me on tumblr, my username is MiraculousLadyB**

 **\- Lady B x**

* * *

When Adrien didn't turn up for school that Monday, Marinette was concerned but assumed he just needed another day to process everything that had happened. When Adrien didn't turn up for school that Tuesday, Marinette questioned Nino who said his friend had text him to say he was ill. When Adrien didn't turn up for school that Wednesday, Marinette was grateful they had patrol that night because she needed to know he was okay before her worry swallowed her whole.

She arrived early, her anxiety filling her brain with worst case scenarios about what had happened to him. Standing on the rooftop they'd sat on a few nights previous, she stared out at the Parisian skyline, the bright lights of the city breaking through the lingering clouds. Her heart thumped so hard against her chest it felt like thunder.

She was about to call him when he appeared from the direction of the Agreste mansion, a beaming smile of his face as he caught sight of her.

"Where have you been?!" she snapped, folding her arms.

Chat furrowed his brow. "I'm only a couple of minutes late, my Lady, could you not bear to be apart from me for so long?" he finished with a wink.

Ladybug shook her head, exasperated. "No, I mean this week at school, you've not been there, why?"

Chat looked at her, bewildered. "How did you know I wasn't at school? Wait, don't answer that. Bugaboo, I just had a bit of a cold, I'll be back in school tomorrow," he smirked. "It's very sweet of you to worry about my grades though."

Ladybug huffed dramatically. "You know damn well this isn't about your grades. We need to find a way to communicate outside of the suits, because my mind is going into overdrive worrying about you!"

Chat's eyes softened. "I know, I'd be the same if this was reversed. I'm working on it, I promise. I'm going back to school tomorrow anyway, I'm feeling better."

"Fine," Ladybug said with a sigh. "You up for a patrol?"

He smiled affectionately. "Always, my Lady."

She eyed him warily, his chipper mood somewhat out of place given the situation that had arisen a few days ago. She'd missed his smile though, so she decided to shrug it off, for now, as she followed him across to rooftops into the night.

* * *

When Adrien didn't turn up for school that Thursday, Marinette had had enough. It was only made worse when Nino expressed his worry that Adrien had barely responded to his messages all week, and any reply he did get seemed very to the point and simple. She wasn't sure what her partner was thinking, Tikki had pointed out she might be overreacting, but something in her gut told her something wasn't right. Chat had seemed far too upbeat the day before, almost like nothing had happened, which concerned her far more than if he'd been understandably miserable and angry.

Perched on the rooftop opposite Adrien's house, she peered over to his room. Most of the room was dark, the only source of light from his desk lamp where he sat doing some homework, but she could see he was alone. The rest of the house was dark, so she took her chance and swung over to Adrien's windowsill. He swung round on his chair in surprise when he heard her knocking, his expression falling to confusion and frustration. She had her arms folded, her hip cocked to the side.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Adrien asked as he opened the window. He offered her a hand into his room which she took. "You know it's not safe to be around here!"

"I wouldn't have to be here if you weren't lying to me," Ladybug quipped as she closed the window behind her. "You said you'd be at school today and you weren't. You barely respond to Nino's messages…"

"I'm not lying to you! I just felt unwell again today, I don't know why you have to make everything such a drama!"

He'd imagined her sneaking into his room many, _many_ times over the years. Not one of those fantasies involved them screaming at each other.

"Don't give me that, you look fine, and you looked fine last night. Are you burying your head in the sand about your father? Because you know in the long run that isn't going to help…"

"Don't you dare try and pretend you have any idea what I'm going through," Adrien snapped, and he caught a glimmer of shock flicker across her face before she quickly withheld it. For a moment, there was silence between them, other than Adrien's ragged, angry breathing. Plagg watched worriedly from Adrien's desk, but said nothing. Taking a shaky breath, Adrien said. "What if he goes after my friends? What if he finds out I'm Chat Noir and uses them against me?" he paused, and he watched as Ladybug's eyes drowned in sadness. His voice broke as he continued. "I couldn't live with myself if something happened to them because of me."

He brought a hand to his face as he began to quietly sob, and Ladybug wrapped her arms around him, stroking his hair and rocking him slowly.

"Firstly, it wouldn't be because of you," Ladybug said, firmly. "Second, I promise I won't let him bring harm to any of your friends. It's my job to protect Paris, and that includes them. Is that why you're pushing them away? So, your father won't target them?" She felt him nod against her shoulder. "Well stop it, you're going to need them more than ever, Adrien, and they want to be there for you."

Adrien pulled away but she took his hands in hers, rubbing her thumb against the back of his palm soothingly. "I can't tell them about this, I'm not risking putting them in danger. Even though Alya would probably punch my dad in the face," he said with a light chuckle. "Hell, Marinette is the nicest person I've ever met," Ladybug flinched at the sound of her civilian name, but Adrien didn't seem to notice. "And I bet even she'd drop kick him."

Ladybug snorted. "She's small but she's certainly feisty. Please promise you'll stop pushing them away? Even Chloe was worried about you, she was asking who'd heard from you and then nearly slapped Lila when she reckoned you and her had been texting constantly all week."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "I can assure you I'm keeping my distance from my father's muse."

Ladybug snorted. "That seems fair, she's a pain in the ass. Promise me you'll come to school tomorrow though?"

He sighed and she squeezed his hands. "Fine, but only to see you," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Ladybug raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know who I am."

"Doesn't matter, I know you'll be there, and that's what counts."

She tried to hold back but the blush but he smiled in satisfaction as he watched the pink grow across her cheeks. "Oh! While you're here, I got you something."

He reluctantly let go of her hands and rushed to his desk, pulling open a drawer. He shuffled about in it for a few moments before bringing out a rectangular box.

"An iPhone?" Ladybug asked, taking the box from him.

Adrien nodded. "Remember I asked you what phone you had the other day? It wasn't some stupid plot to try and work out your identity, if anything, it was the opposite. If you get a case that's identical to the one you have, no-one will even notice you have two phones."

Ladybug looked at him blankly. "Why do I need two phones?"

"Because, my dear Ladybug, that one has my phone number in it. You may already have it on your own phone- don't tell me!- but I also have that phone's number in my phone, so we can communicate outside of the suits."

"Oh!" Ladybug said, suddenly understanding. "That's perfect. Though if people see me texting you and it comes up as Ladybug, won't they get suspicious?"

Adrien smiled softly. "Way ahead of you. I've given you a decoy name."

"Dare I ask?" she said with a smirk. He told her and she burst into laughter. "Joan?! Why Joan?!"

"According to Plagg, Joan of Arc was a Ladybug," Adrien said, nodding to his kwami who was snoozing on the desk.

Ladybug sighed. "Okay fine, Joan it is. Thank you for the phone, it'll give me peace of mind."

"It also means you don't have to show up here. I love having you here but it's just not safe," Adrien said sadly.

Ladybug smiled, though it was bittersweet. "When this is all over, I'll spend lots of time with you, I promise. But I guess I should be leaving…"

Tentatively, he stepped toward her, as if he was concerned a swift movement would scare her away. The artificial light from his desk caused her eyes to sparkle, her porcelain, pale skin dressed in the warm orange of the lamp. Against the night sky creeping through his windows, she looked like a burning star, guiding him through the darkness. "Can you stay, for now, just for a little while?" he whispered. His hands fell to her waist and he pulled her toward him gently. "This week has been really lonely."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Of course," she said softly.


End file.
